“You’ve seen cutbacks in funding,” Mr. Duncan said. “It doesn’t serve the children well. It doesn’t serve the state well. It doesn’t serve the state’s economy well. And ultimately it hurts the country.” He added: “Far too few of their high school graduates are actually prepared to go on to college.”

Mr. Duncan’s remarks reflect what will be one of several Democratic attack lines against Mr. Perry, who entered the Republican presidential race on Saturday. Some will try to link Mr. Perry’s Texas drawl and personality to those of President George W. Bush, who preceded him as governor. There are also charges that the job creation Mr. Perry says he’s responsible for in Texas is little more than statistical manipulation.

Mr. Duncan argues the Texas model, low taxes with low spending on education, health care and the like won’t appeal to independent voters.

Mr. Perry signed a budget bill in July that slashed $4 billion in education spending. Tough choices had to be made to promote future economic growth, the governor said…

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